It’s also really easy to get confused about what you should be doing, and what plant propagation techniques work the best. What kind of potting soil do I need? Where can I find it?

My plants don’t look so good, what could be wrong with them? These kinds of questions are answered daily. If you have a plant that doesn’t look good you can post a picture and get an answer, sometimes almost immediately.

There are all kinds of places online where you can ask gardening questions and there is no shortage of people who offer up answers.

But very, very, very few of those people have ever grown plants for profit nor have they ever worked in a commercial plant nursery. They will steer you wrong because truth be told, they just don’t know what they don’t know.

To a person like you, who is building a small backyard growing operation, those kinds of people can be dangerous and cost you a great deal of money and frustration.

I cannot state it strongly enough.

Be very, very careful from whom you take advice. Even people with advanced degrees in horticulture lack real-world knowledge and experience. What happens in the nursery is a lot different than what someone learned in the classroom.

The members of the Backyard Growers Business Center are like family. They treat each other like family and in many cases better than family.

They care about one another. They help each other more than you can imagine. One of the members suddenly found herself homeless because of circumstances out of her control.

Another member offered her a place to stay on her property and she’s still there! They are working together to grow and sell plants. They each have their own customers and their own business, but they are working from the same property simply because one member cared about another.

The members get together, several times a year in different parts of the country. It’s an amazing thing to see. They get together and hold co-op plant sales where one member has a place to sell so they invite nearby members and let them sell at their event.

They do co-op buying, they get together with others in their area, and order plants from large wholesale nurseries to get the best discounts. They get together and tour large wholesale nurseries together.

They are all about helping one another.

The Backyard Growers Business Center is also a place where you can buy small plants wholesale and sell your own plants as soon as you have plants to sell.

Japanese Red Maples for $2.00, really, really rare Japanese maples for less than $12.00. Harry Lauder’s Walking Stick for $4.00! You will not find these prices anywhere. We have members that have sold tens of thousands of dollars worth of plants to other members in this Buy/Sell area.

When Heather from Washington state advertised some ferns in the Buy/Sell area and sold out in just a few days, she emailed me all excited and told me she just sold $1,700 worth of ferns. She assured me that she’d be doing that again.

When Andy from Maine advertised some rare Japanese maples for $11.00 each, I watched the orders pour in. He was so busy taking orders he didn’t realize how much it all added up to.

Is that how it works? Can I promise you that you can do just as well selling in the Buy/Sell area? No. Absolutely not. To be perfectly honest, I have no idea how much money people make selling plants in the Buy/Sell area.

I really don’t pay a lot of attention to it. But I do know that the ads change quickly so that tells me that people are selling out. A few things have caught my attention, like Heather’s ferns and Andy’s Japanese maples.

Do I buy plants in the Buy/Sell area? I certainly have. Like I said, I don’t spend a lot of time there, but when I do, look out! I’ve bought thousands and thousands of dollars worth of plants at at time.

Mostly rare Japanese maples. But I’ve also bought all kinds of flowering shrubs for as low as 65¢ each. I’ve purchased from Mrinali in Georgia, Andy in Maine, Keith in Indiana, Norman in Oklahoma, and probably others. When I need something, I always check the board.

Do I sell on the Buy/Sell board? No. Not at this time and I’m not sure if I ever will. I can sell retail and wholesale from my location here in Perry, Ohio and for now, that’s what I prefer.

The members have events like the one pictured here in different parts of the country. One member in Tennessee had everybody over for a barbeque, and another member in Virginia had people over for a summer get-together.

Each year for several years there’s been a big event in Georgia and another in Texas. Like I said. We are family. When one member is in pain the entire group is in pain.

Last year, one member had a devastating house fire. This summer, when she was ready to start her nursery again, we rallied around her and the members sent plants and supplies, even a mist system to help her get her nursery started again.

When Doug’s property and nursery flooded in upstate New York, we raised money to help him out. Some members traveled a long distance just to help him clean up the mess.

No, it’s not. This really appeals to the person who is truly interested in making their small nursery really successful.

This is for people who want a successful business that they can operate from home and want to have the ability to discuss what works and what doesn’t work with other members including myself.

I personally spend a great deal of time in the Backyard Growers Business Center answering questions and offering advice.

For me, it really is quite time-consuming. That’s one of the reasons I don’t spend as much in the Buy/Sell area as many of the members do. That’s also why we limit the membership, oftentimes closing and not accepting any new members at all.

My time is spent answering questions and helping the new members. Especially the new members! They are the ones who need the most direction in the beginning so I make it my mission to be there and guide them along the way.

Of course, many members also pitch in generously sharing what they know and what’s working for them. That helps me out a great deal plus it gives the new members more than one perspective on things.

Here’s what a few members have to say about the Business Center…

If you get in there and decide it’s not for you, just let us know and we’ll gladly stop your payments. You’ll never be charged another dime. It’s real easy to cancel. Our email address and phone number are listed right inside the Business Center. Just contact us anytime, Monday thru Friday, 8AM-4PM EST.

It’s your choice from here. Go at it alone or, get help from those who know it best.